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In Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, protagonist Walter Lee Younger faces adversity and uncertainty regarding his family’s future. These situations lead to the loss of his stability and put his character to the test, thus leading him to make questionable moral decisions. Walter Lee Younger’s character through the play changes despite the recent situations he put his family in. In the beginning he plays as the stereotypical male maternal role where “he owns the house” and that “he is in charge.” This is seen remarkably when he gave Travis not the fifty cents that he needed for school, but a whole dollar for some fruit or a ride to school, noticeably after Ruth said that they did not have the change to spare. Sure, it does not seem
Development of characters are shown in multiple events and situations within A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry that will either leave the character changed or not. Walter Younger Jr. undertakes multiple changes throughout the text which develops characteristics of his way of thoughts. His experiences change his morals and his appreciation for his family and his surrounding for what they are. Walter’s understanding and feelings are also shown growth throughout the text, to where he becomes a more advanced individual within himself and to for his family.
However, dreams are the factor that divide the Younger family, yet, also identify each family members personality, thoughts, and actions. For example, Walter wants to be a successful businessman, and make more money. Walter believes that money will solve all the answers economically and emotionally. In addition, Ruth wishes to move out of the apartment and rekindle the love within her marriage. Beneatha, on the other hand, wants to become a doctor to heal people. Hansberry, constantly uses direct characterization with Ruth to portray her characterization within the play, but also to portray the characters pain or exhaustion, “Drily, but to hurt” (16). Ruth Younger, wife of Walter and the mother of Travis, is a prime example. Within the play, she manages the upkeep of the apartment. Moreover, she is the mediator for Mama, Walter, and Beneatha. Ruth knows that her mediation between the family is essential for the sanity of the household. However, her mediation is mostly utilized between Walter and Mama. “No. Mama, something is happening between Walter and me. I don’t know what it is-but he needs something-something I can’t give him any more. He Needs this chance, Lena” (25). Ruth’s desire to reconnect with her husband and family allow her to struggle for what she
The first reason I believe that Walter is the protagonist is because he isn’t a selfish man. What I mean by this is when he is talking about issues he tends to discuss family issues above his own personal things. Though at times in the play when he is drunk and loses his temper he does start speaking selfishly, I believe that his overall attitude in the play is for his family to move up the world. I believe that Walter’s son Travis is the main reason why he acts so unselfishly. He seems to want the best for this son and doesn’t want his son to feel that there isn’t anything he can’t have or do.
No matter how hard they try, there are some people who cannot get ahead in life. Walter Lee Younger is a man who is frustrated with his current position in life, and every disappointment he has encountered thus far. Although he tries to be a loving man, sometimes he does not know how to show the idea of love, 'Sometimes...sometimes...I don't even know how to try' (Hansberry 89). His position in life can be regarded as symbolic of every black male struggling to provide for his family by any means necessary. Although Walter has a job, it seems inadequate for his survival. As a result, he has become frustrated and lacks good judgement. Throughout this play Walter searches for the key ingredient that will make his life blissful. His frustrations stem from him not being able to act as a man and provide for his family and grasp hold of his ideals to watch them manifest into a positive situation. Walter Lee Younger, a man who is vehement for his family, has many ambitions in life, and dreams of the biggest dreams out of anyone else in the play.
Walter Lee Younger's route, which was filled with riskiness and impulsiveness, exemplified the road taken by blacks who had been oppressed so much that they followed their dreams with blind desperation. Though Walter was the only adult male in his family, he did not assume the role as "man of the house." His mother, Lena was the family's backbone as well as the head of the household. Therefore, Walter felt less than a man. Not only did Walter not have a position of dignity in his home, but he felt disrespected by the world as well. Walter didn't feel good about himself because he was so poor that he struggled to support his wife, Ruth and son, Travis. Walter, though the did not fare unsuccessfully in that struggle, our he wanted more out of life. He told Ruth:
Walter Younger plays both the protagonist and antagonist. Walter dreams of being like the rich people he drives around, becoming wealthy, providing for his family the rich people do. He seems to feel that he didn’t have much in his family, besides the family itself and he wants to give his family what he never had. Economic hardship make walter feel enslaved and also the economic hardship has deferred his dream. His character evolves throughout the play and with it does the pride and loyalty of the family. Walter is unsure of his position as the man in charge of the household at first. In the beginning most of his actions hurt the family, however his sudden rise to his position “made him sort of a hero in the last scene.� This “heroism� is what showed the families pride in order to complete a dream. “He speaks of his father’s hard work and the dignified way in which he conducted his life. Then, drawing Travis to him, Walter rejec...
He is working as a chauffeur for a rich white man and he has no room for advancement in his current career. Walter represents the typical man who wants to provide for his family, but he spends his days sucking up to his boss and not able to provide for his family. Mama Younger will receive 10,000 from her husband’s passing and the entire family has their dreams set upon what to do with it. Walter plans to use the money to invest in a liquor store with his buddy, Willy Harris. Walter’s entire family is against him opening up a liquor store and Mama Younger takes a down-payment on a house in a white neighborhood. A white man named Mr. Linder tries to get Walter to take money in exchange for not moving into the white neighborhood, Walter, the hero at this point, declines to take the money because he is not set on bowing down to the white man. When Mama Younger does this, Walter goes into a three-day drinking binge and decides to not go back to work. Walter eventually receives 6,500 dollars from Mama and she tells him to put 3,000 of the money for Beneatha’s education. Walter keeps the 3,500 to plan out his dream of opening a liquor store. When Walter believes that his dreams are finally accomplished, he turns into a kinder man towards his family. Walter becomes friendlier with his sister, hugs his mother and takes his wife for dates. The Walter Younger, who now believes that his family will acquire The American Dream, is a
Primarily, in A Raisin in the Sun Walter is an example of one struggling to achieve their dream or desire. Walter serves as the hero and villain of the play due to the actions he takes revolving his dream. “Walter, who firmly believes in the American Dream of economic independence, wants to own his own business, and a liquor store, because he despairs over what he perceives to be his inability to support the family and to provide for his son’s future” ( __ __ ). Walter’s dream is to be sole the provider for his household and give his family a better life. He plans by doing this through a liquor store investment with the insurance money given to Mama from Big Walters death. “In the play Walter loses much of the insurance money that he planned to invest on a liquor store to a con artist” ( ___ ___ ). Walter’s decision on investing in a liquor store turns out to be a horrific choice. In the play although Walter is regretfully deceived and looked down upon as a result of the liquor store ambition, he makes up for it by at the end finally reaching his manhood. During the time of the play the husband of the family is mainly the sole provider for the family. In the case of the play, Walters mother is the sole provider for the family. Walter strives to be the “man” of the house.“A job. (Looks at her) Mama, a job? I open and close car doors all day long. I drive a man around in his limousine and I say, “Yes, sir; no, sir; very good, sir; shall I take the Drive, sir?” Mama, that ain’t no kind of job. That ain’t nothing at all. (Very quietly) Mama, I don’t know if I can make you understand” ( Hansberry , Pg.73). “Walter minimizes the position of a car driver because to him it diminishes his manhood and his sense of individual worth.
The idea of family is a central theme in Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun. Hansberry alludes to the Old Testament book of Ruth in her play to magnify “the value of having a home and family”(Ardolino 181). The Younger family faces hardships that in the moment seem to tear them apart from one another, but through everything, they stick together. The importance of family is amplified by the choices of Walter and Beneatha because they appear to initiate fatal cracks in the Younger family’s foundation, but Mama is the cement who encourages her family to pull together as one unit. The hardships of the family help develop a sense of unity for the Younger household.
... “A Raisin in the Sun” felt held down by the enormity of generations of struggle and poverty. Walter Lee’s burning desire to break free of poverty and gain financial success clouded his responsibility as head of the household and made him a slave to money he did not have. He was enslaved by the love of money. The poverty and the lack of support from his family fueled his ever edgy fire of discontentment. It is only through his placement of his family in a worse predicament did he break free of the bonds of money. This new found freedom eliminated the separation between he and his family, but like Du Bois, things went unchanged in his world. Walter Lee would never achieve his dream in the play. Racism, poverty and corruption kept Walter Lee from achieving his dream and he could not overcome them as he burdened with the fate that he had not part in receiving.
In Lorraine Hansberry’s theatrical experience, A Raisin in the Sun, a lower class, black family in Chicago struggles through life to make ends meet. These dull conditions make the protagonist, Walter, look at life differently. Walter’s depressing outlook on life forces him to change to strengthen his relationship with his family.
This scene shows the importance of money to Walter Lee. Here he is trying to guilt his mother into giving him the money by pointing out things that the family has to settle with. For example, he tells Lena that she will have to tell that to his son he is pointing out that Travis sleeps on the couch and does not have an actual bed of his own. He talks about how his wife Ruth has to watch someone else’s kids for money instea...
Dreams of owning a business and having money to accomplish goals are two key parts played out throughout the whole process. Walter Younger is determined to have his own business and he will go to ends meet to see that dream come true. Financial bridges are crossed and obstacles arise when Walter makes a bad decision regarding money that could have helped the family and not only himself, if he had thought smarter. His pride and dignity are tested throughout the story and he is forced to set up for his family. The Raisin in the Sun helps readers to understand the history of racial discrimination and how racial discrimination has an effect on the people in the late 1950s and early 1960s as well as how that has an effect on the characters within the play.
Travis, son of Walter serves a function in the play, that is the most vital. He lets us connect with Walter while adding more dimension to Walter’s character. Travis the one who makes Walter,a misguided,angry main character more whole, he turns Walter into a more likable person because he shows Walter’s soft side. The play depicts Walter being most rude and abrupt to his wife,mother and sister but never to Travis. Walter happily jokes with his son and slips easily into his role as a father even when he is in a troubled state. Travis makes Walter gain more dimension in his character, he is often the reason Walter does morally grey things and longs for money. Walter desires money so he can offer his son a superior life than he has had. Walter
Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun depicts the struggles of three generations of the Youngers family in the 1950's of poorer Chicago. Act 2, scene 2 of the play displays an understanding of the Youngers and the atmosphere in which they live. In just a few pages, Lorraine Hansberry reveals the struggles enforced upon the characters individually as well as with their united desires as a family. Individually, each character must overcome prejudice from his family and associates, while still enduring struggles and hardships that diminish any intended goals. Together, however, the Younger family must overcome the racial bigotry incurred by society, while still maintaining social pride and integrity. In contrast, a predominant expression of hope and encouragement is a factor in the lives of such characters, as revealed by the author. With the use of dramatic elements to interpret the events of this section of the play, in addition to the issues of race and gender, it is obvious that the Youngers represent a black family struggling towards middleclass respectability not only in society, but in their own home as well.